Good ideas need strong partners – SME & Start-up Pitch Event at the Life Science Center Düsseldorf

On 13 August 2024, CLIB organised the third SME & Start-up Pitch Event in Düsseldorf to bring young companies together with advisors, industry experts and investors and to offer the opportunity to build a personal network of supporters. The event was held on the premises of the Life Science Centre in Düsseldorf, providing an ideal environment for the pitching companies. Active research and innovation takes place here every day with over 50 companies and start-ups based here.

On the hottest day of the year, the 50 participants were able to listen to a total of twelve “cool” pitches. The spectrum of innovative ideas was again broad this year and ranged from the sustainable production of biosurfactants, biodegradable polymers and aromatic building blocks to technology optimisation in the fields of biogas, fermentation technology and AI.

Special attention was paid to the utilisation of natural potential offered by fungi, seaweed, microbial consortia and bio-based side streams such as coffee cherries. The presentations were followed by numerous questions from the interested audience, which were further expanded during the networking breaks.

In addition to the audience vote on questions such as the most appealing pitch or the greatest potential of an idea presented, this year BioInvest Europe (BIE) awarded free participation in the Pitch Perfect and Boost the Bioeconomy event.

Anne Boermans from Zeefier B.V. convinced the jury of six experts and secured the coveted prize.

We would like to thank AmphiStar B.V., B4Plastics, Biocon – KU Leuven, GSI Green Energy, Infinite Roots®, jFermi Biotechnologiai Kft, LABMaiTE GmbH, NovelYeast, Novobiom, Pectcof B.V., The good ones AG and Zeefier B.V. for their pitches and all participants for attending this event. Special thanks also go to our judges and BIO.NRW for supporting the event.

The event was supported by the Triple-S project, in which CLIB identifies sustainable, smart and scalable innovations for a circular bioeconomy in NRW, and BioInvest Europe, a joint initiative of Magfi and the Irish Bioeconomy Foundation (IBF).